Some Tips To Feed Your Baby With Solid Food
As a new parent, you may be confused about when to start feeding your baby solid foods and how it coincides with potty training. How do you know when to start and what foods you should start with? Should you make your own homemade baby food? How do you know how much is enough? To help guide you, let’s have a look at some feeding basics for toddlers and infants. We will also discuss what, when and how much to feed your child up to the age of 3.
In nearly all healthy children, the recommended age to start solid foods is 4 to 6 months. Age is just one criterion for readiness, though. Your baby’s motor skills and stage of development will also help determine when he or she is ready. Are there any sleep issues? Hunger may be the culprit. He should be capable of holding his head up and should no longer have the reflex, which causes them to push anything but liquid out of their mouths.
What is on the menu for baby’s first meal? Rice cereal is a customary and safe first food, but most babies can tolerate a variety of foods like rice cereal, vegetables, fruits and meat. While meat is often reserved for older infants, some experts feel there is no reason to wait.
How do you know how much is enough? The first few weeks of eating solid foods is more about becoming accustomed to spoon-feeding than meeting nutritional needs. Your baby is learning to negotiate food. Don’t expect your child to eat more than one or two teaspoons at a time during the first week or so.
Older infants may try to feed themselves. It means messy meals, but letting your child feed himself encourages the development of his fine motor skills. Around the 1-year mark, give your baby water, breast milk or formula from a cup they can sip from.
If your child seems disinterested in solids when you first offer them, wait a few days and try again. While some are persistently poor eaters, most babies eat what they need to be healthy. If your child is growing and developing in a way that satisfies his doctor, and he is healthy and energetic without sleep issues or potty learning issues, then his intake is meeting his needs. How do you know if you are feeding your baby enough? Look for a few telltale signs, such as pursing his lips tight when the spoon comes his way, spitting out every spoonful you manage to get in his mouth and swatting at the spoon.
Toddlers tend to be unpredictable eaters. Growth spurts, painful teething, and toddler toilet training all contribute to their unpredictable food intake. Many times, toddlers are more interested in fine tuning large motor skills or learning a new word than with eating. One thing is for sure; toddlers eat when they are hungry. Feeding your baby a healthy diet will no doubt promote healthy eating habits for life.
